Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Beyond Method # 10: Web Conferencing

I had never "attended" a Webinar, so I watched 10-15 minutes of one available at the Texas State Library: Baby Boomers and Your Library presented by Allan Kleiman. I had to download software, which took a few minutes.

The seminar had interesting information but seemed boring in the way it was presented. There was slide after slide of print and only one slide with pictures. Mr. Kleiman had a lot of pauses and "um"s, which are highly noticeable on a webcast. It felt like the pacing was slower than I could absorb, and I stood up to stretch while listening.

I see a lot of potential for web conferencing, but the format needs to be more dynamic than this to sustain attention. What this reminds me of the early days of educational videos, when "talking heads" were the norm. Boring. I believe the field is in its infancy, and perhaps innovators will learn how to add spice.

I enjoyed the readings and videos on Skyping an author and may try to do that this year.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Favorite Children's Books

Some Favorite Adult Books

  • Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
  • Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
  • Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (memoir)
  • The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch
  • The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
  • Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri